Post a link to a webpage that you think contain a good example of an argument about one of the following types of proposition: fact, value, policy, definition, or interpretation. Include a brief explanation of how you see the example working and of where it occurs on the page. Complete this by the night before class.
29 thoughts on “Examples of Key Propositions”
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http://nyagainstfracking.org/facts/
This website is a good example for a proposition of fact.
Fracking is the process of injecting “a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into dense shale rock formations to crack the rock and release natural gas. Fracking has been around for decades, but the techniques, technologies and chemicals used to reach new, remote gas reserves are more intensive and riskier than conventional gas drilling.”
Since the practice has been around for decades, the practice continues to receive support.
This website was created to convince New York State residents to support the ban on
fracking. One of the biggest concerns claimed by the website is polluted drinking water.
In establishing their claim, the website made statements like “Fracking has brought rampant environmental and economic problems to rural communities” and “Accidents and leaks have polluted rivers, streams and drinking water supplies.”
This is backed by a variety of reports including this one that discusses the impact on drinking water in several states.
http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/FrackingCrisisUS.pdf#_ga=1.197388585.702727004.1425016964 – Page 7-9 of the PDF
The report provides strong scientific information and is able to establish a correlation between fracking and polluted drinking water and that the cause preceded the effects. That is two of three necessities for a proposition of fact. As with third need mentioned in the reading, it should be self-explanatory that our drinking water is important, similar to why oxygen is important to an animal’s survival.
When using scientific data and examples of previous incident, people will believe the same will happen to them. In this case, many New Yorkers believed in the dangers of fracking and supported the ban. The end result was a success as Governor Andrew Cuomo listened to these concerns and made the ban official.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2411995/LSD-good-Hallucinogens-wrongly-linked-mental-health-problems-years-study-says.html
This article shows a good example of a proposition of fact specifically proposition about causes. Its states “They said psychedelic drug use and mental health problems both occurred in late adolescence and so were wrongly linked by researchers, the Independent reports”
It basically argues that mental illness diagnosis and use of hallucinogens just happen to occur at around the same time in late adolescence and not the cause.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_3_how_hip_hop.html
This article displays an example of proposition of fact especially highlighting proposition of causes. The writer of this journal is discussing how hip hop music is the reason for the decline and violence of the black community. This statement can be argued to negate this claim with various examples of how the hip hop genre and culture has propelled and cultivated in the success of blacks and minorities within the United States. The following quotes are pieces of the propositions of fact the writer has produced based upon his opinion of the influence of hip hop upon the black community:
“Many writers and thinkers see a kind of informed political engagement, even a revolutionary potential, in rap and hip-hop. They couldn’t be more wrong. By reinforcing the stereotypes that long hindered blacks, and by teaching young blacks that a thuggish adversarial stance is the properly “authentic” response to a presumptively racist society, rap retards black success.”(Anderson, 2003)
“Okay, maybe rap isn’t progressive in any meaningful sense, some observers will admit; but isn’t it just a bunch of kids blowing off steam and so nothing to worry about? I think that response is too easy. With music videos, DVD players, Walkmans, the Internet, clothes, and magazines all making hip-hop an accompaniment to a person’s entire existence, we need to take it more seriously. In fact, I would argue that it is seriously harmful to the black community.”
Hip Hop music has given a voice for the minorities who are underrepresented in government and society to have a platform to speak against racism and prejudices. Hip hop has also provided opportunities to expose the world to have a candid look into the different life experiences blacks face existing in the United States. Hip hop has also produced countless examples of “Black success” and has elevated the black community since the beginning of its existence.
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/children-teens-and-tobacco.html
According to the video lecture, proposition of facts are claims about existence, occurrence, quantity, and cause. It proposes whether something is true or false.
The website listed above talks about the prevalence of tobacco use in children and teens. It is a good example of proposition of fact. Right at the beginning it opens with a fact . In fact, the whole page is a list of facts. Most statements talks about percentage rates and every line is cited with an endnote. This website is mostly about prevalence so it incorporate existence, occurrence, quantity and potential causes.
http://journaltimes.com/news/local/bullying—-increased-awareness-cultural-changes-make-it/article_de1770b2-2930-11e1-9b5e-001871e3ce6c.html
I focused on the proposition of definition for my post, and I focused on the term “bully” or”bullying”. The definition of the term”bully” has definitely changed over time to take on different meanings. Reference to this word in the 16th century indicated a term of endearment, meaning “sweetheart” or “darling”. Today the word has adopted a more negative connotation.
The issue with “bullying” lies in the fact that the definition has become so varied. According to this article, “of 46 anti-bullying laws enacted since 1999, not one uses the same definition of bullying” (Stein). Additionally, people are now expanding the definition of bullying to account for any instance in which a child encounters a conflict. The new loose and over generalized use of this word is causing “bullying” to become the more convenient label for other incidents which may in fact be better classified as “physical abuse,” or “sexual harassment”.
Another issue discussed in this article is the fact that, parents will overgeneralize any issues at school and more readily relate them to “bullying” instead of teaching their children how to handle and resolve conflict on their own. Additionally, School Administrators and officials will easily invict “bullying” as the culprit time and time again in order to prevent investigation, lawsuit, and conflict when other serious issues are present.
Overall, the multiple meanings, and overgeneralized use of this term over time have caused this word to lose its true meaning and importance. As discussed in this article, children should be taught other words to express situations which may in fact not strictly be bullying. Extending their vocabulary and knowledge of these situations, along with a unified meaning of the term would allow the term “bullying” to gain back its significance.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/indiana-baby-boxes-surrendering-newborns-article-1.2131509
I found an article on safe haven baby boxes that I feel is a proposition of value. According to changingminds.org, In a proposition of values, you make a statement where you are asking your audience to make an evaluative judgment as to whether the statement is morally good or bad, right or wrong. This may be done by comparing two items and asking them which is better.
The sixth paragraph down states: his proposal draws on a centuries-old concept to help “those children that are left in the woods, those children that are abandoned in dangerous places.”
I feel this is a proposition of value. A statement asking the reader to decide between either leaving an unwanted baby in the dangerous woods or in a safe box.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/obesity.html
I choose to find a website that demonstrates proposition of facts. Propositions of fact state that a phenomenon is true or false. The above website discusses’ when being overweight becomes a health problem. My proposition of fact is obesity causes health problems. “But being overweight is actually a medical concern because it can seriously affect a person’s health.” This is a phenomenon that is seen as true and based on evidenced based research.
I decided to focus on the proposition of fact. In an the article title “Why One Family With Measles Is Reconsidering Their Anti-Vax Position” The article stresses the importance of vaccinations against measles and provides factual data to back up the argument. This is represented in the following excerpt from the article:
“If exposed, 90 percent of people who don’t have a measles vaccine will get it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In contrast, two doses of the vaccine as recommended is 97 percent effective at protecting people from measles.”
The proposition that the majority of people who remain unvaccinated will get measles if they are exposed is true and is supported by evidence.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/26/anti-vaccination-parents_n_6763410.html?ir=Healthy+Living
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/14/kirsten-gillibrand-jeff-sessions-food-stamps_n_1598631.html
I’m going to focus on proposition of value. In this article Kirsten Gillibrand argues against cuts in food stamps. She argues her proposition of value using means of deduction. In the last paragraph of the article she says “I don’t know if he’s(she’s referring to Republican Jeff Sessions) ever heard a young child say ‘Mommy, I’m still hungry.’, but any mother who hears those words and is not able to give their child food is unacceptable. Unacceptable in a country as rich as ours to not be able to provide those families with the food they need.” This is Kirsten’s statement about the importance of feeding our children, especially in the wealthiest country in the world. Her audience would agree with this statement I’m sure. From this premise, that we need to feed our children in the richest country in the world, we can deduce that cutting the food stamp program is unjust, immoral and wrong.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2010/12/01/8731/fact-sheet-the-dream-act/
This article from the Center for American Progress gives a proposition of fact about the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is legislation that is concerning children of illegal immigrants and to potentially grant them legal status. However, as the article states, this will not be a handout but a difficult process. “Young people must meet the DREAM Act’s high standards to earn legal status, and work through a lengthy process that includes graduating from high school, being of good moral character, passing background tests, and continuing their education at college or in the military.”
Throughout the article there are links to alternate sources of information to further inform the reader about the facts surrounding this issue. It touches on the who (the children), the what (illegal vs legal status), the where (throughout the United States) and the why (children were brought without knowledge of being illegal “Many of these kids do not even realize they are “illegal” until years after they come to the United States. This is the only country they’ve ever called home.”)
The author also details the eligibility requirements, such as having been under 16 when entering the country but under the age of 30 when the act is passed. You must also have been in the US for five years before the act is passed. It addresses those who are supporting the DREAM Act, including a list of senators in support as well as remarking that “[s]eventy percent of likely voters of all political stripes support the DREAM Act.”
The article works to break down the various elements into the bare bones issues. This would allow a reader to be able to obtain the facts and make an informed decision based on this article promoting proposition of fact.
The article I choose to analyze for this post tackled the issue of public assistance in the form of food stamps. The article is a good example of propositional argumentation using facts as well as value.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/28/food-stamp-demographics_n_6771938.html
The author is bringing value to the issue of the misconception of African American being the majority of recipients of this form of assistance. The topic was brought to attention when Mississippi state legislature Gene Alday made the comment that in his hometown all the African American residents were receiving food stamp checks and even made the comment that the were receiving “welfare crazy checks”
This article strings out the facts that show that this legislature was misguided in making that assumption. The article shows pie charts, sites reports that invalidate the legislators’ comments and show that in actuality most recipients of food stamps are white. The article then goes into facts about the overall recipients of food stamps and what groups are more likely to receive this form of assistance.
The article ends on a note of possible solutions from the republican standpoint. There analysis of the issue is that most of the people receiving public assistance in the form of food stamps are able to work, and would contribute to reducing the amount of aid that was given by obtaining jobs.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/10/09/raise-minimum-wage-poverty-income-column/16969185/
The link above is a proposition of value example.
The authors argue through deduction that raising the minimum wage is “common sense”. They state, “If [minimum wage] had kept up with inflation since 1968, it would be almost $10.70 today”.
The authors also demonstrated proposition of value saying that ” it’s wrong that someone in the United States of America who works hard for long hours to support their family can still be stuck in poverty today. It is time for Congress to give the working poor a raise and take the politics out of this issue by linking future increases in the minimum wage to the cost of living”.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/pops/plaza_standards.shtml
An example of key, fact and policy is the Privately Owned Public Space or POPS. The Privately Owned Public Space or POPS for shorts is the co-establishment of both private and public spaces for the general public to use; libraries, museums, theatres, malls, and etc. all fall under this category. Government allows private companies to built up and have extra walk spaces, in return the private companies has to follow the three guidelines of POPS. The first guideline is accessibility and circulation; the public space should be easily seen and access to. The main function of this principle is to avoid any confrontation in questioning whether the space is private or not. The second being usability, the areas of public space is necessary to be well-shaped and proportioned. The space must be capable of holding various activities and events, such as Christmas and other traditional holidays. In addition to this management, seating and other facilities are a must for serving the general public as accommodations and preparations for future events. The third and last guideline is the atmosphere; the given landscape of the public area must give off a relaxation and leisure sentiment. In order to produce this atmosphere, landscape needs are as follows: trees for shades and water features, such as foundations, ponds, etc. for people being able to take a breather. By following these necessary guidelines, the city would be able to maintain the order and satisfaction between both the private and public divisions.
http://www.rickferri.com/WhitePaper.pdf
This whitepaper entitled “A Case for Index Fund Portfolios” provides academic research and real life historical data as to why one should utilize passive investment strategies (ETFs, index funds, etc.) in their portfolio over active strategies (i.e. mutual funds, hedge funds, etc.). This is a perfect example of a “factual” argument.
As someone who has been advising people on their an investments for many years, many people on Wall Street believe that they can outperform the market through a disciplined research process and market timing. Unfortunately, the historical data doesn’t jive with this notion. In Ferri’s paper he illustrates how actively managed funds have under performed passive portfolios through various market cycles and further proves that the longer one intends on holding their investments form (15 years +) the better your performance will be by utilizing passive investment strategies over active investment strategies. The author sites various academic studies including the work done by Eugene F. Fama and Kenneth R. French, as well as index fund pioneer and founder of Vanguard, John C. Bogle.
The Court opinion of Griswold v. Connecticut contains both a proposition of interpretation, as well as a proposition of definition. Griswold v. Connecticut created the modern day “right to privacy” standard that the Court uses, by overruling a state law that banned the sale of female contraceptives.
The Court, in a 7-2 decision, interpreted the Constitution, specifically the 4th and 5th Amendments, to include a right to privacy. Although the Constitution does not explicitly state such a right, the majority of the Court interpreted in that manner to apply to the case. They found that a couple has a right against the government intruding upon their lives, even if it is not as direct as a search and seizure.
” Breaking into a house and opening boxes and drawers are circumstances of aggravation; but any forcible and compulsory extortion of a man’s own testimony or of his private papers to be used as evidence to convict him of crime or to forfeit his goods is within the condemnation of that judgment. In this regard, the Fourth and Fifth Amendments run almost into each other.”
As for the proposition of definition, the Court also created the definition of the “right to privacy,” and what that actually entails in the context of American jurisprudence.
“They reach farther than the concrete form of the case then before the court, with its adventitious circumstances; they apply to all invasions on the part of the government and its employes of the sanctity of a man’s home and the privacies of life”
The insisted that, once again, a right to privacy does not occur solely from direct government action – but based on hundreds of years of cases – that privacy is a fundamental right to live a life without the intrusion of the government.
Link here:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/381/479
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/opinion/kristof-the-value-of-teachers.html?_r=0
This article details the value proposition of a good teacher. Kristoff writes: “Having a good fourth-grade teacher makes a student 1.25 percent more likely to go to college, the research suggests, and 1.25 percent less likely to get pregnant as a teenager. Each of the students will go on as an adult to earn, on average, $25,000 more over a lifetime — or about $700,000 in gains for an average size class — all attributable to that ace teacher back in the fourth grade.”
“Conversely, a very poor teacher has the same effect as a pupil missing 40 percent of the school year. We don’t allow that kind of truancy, so it’s not clear why we should put up with such poor teaching. In fact, the study shows that parents should pay a bad teacher $100,000 to retire (assuming the replacement is of average quality) because a weak teacher holds children back so much.”
By quantifying the value of a strong teacher in clear lifelong financial gain figures for his/her students, the author is able to make a strong and clear argument for the value of a good teacher.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sunday/government-is-not-the-enemy.html?ref=opinion
Government is not the enemy
During the Obama presidency, national debt has doubled, government’s prower has outreached its obligatory field.Republicans expressed negative vision of government which is “politically perilous and intelletually inadequate”.Given this,Republicans should change the strategy to gain voters’ trust. The author argued that the conservative approach to government could succeed and benefit the whole society.To start with,1996 welfare law contributed to higher employment and decreasing overall poverty.Second, violent crime rate has dropped in half since 1993 as a result of smarter and better government.Third,income tax credit acts as the best anti-poverty program.In my view, the three examples could serve as causes to support the author’s proposition of the success of conservative policies.
In the latter part of the article, the author argued for conservative’s success by the proposition of value. Conservatives measure success by outcomes rather than input”. The author mentioned the solution to inefficient healthcare is not government to define everything, but “to infuse healthcare with market principle,creating competition”.A 2013 Gallup poll showed that 54% Americans think the government is trying to do too much.As Thomas Jefferson said,”A wise and frugal Government…shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement”. Instead of government’s well-intentioned interference, Republicans should be creative to transform government programs into efficient an responsive ones,also to encourage individual initiative, not replace it. “The best government is that which governs least”.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
I chose a website the demonstrates proposition of facts. The article is discussing the causes of lung cancer and how smoking is related to lung cancer. It is common knowledge the correlation between smoking and lung cancer and this article is filled with facts and occurrences that support the claim of smoking possibly leading to lung cancer
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/susan-milligan/2014/01/16/we-need-gun-control-to-stop-more-than-criminals
This article tackles a proposition of policy around gun control. The article attacks one of the main points against gun control: that laws won’t stop gun use because guns are used by criminals who don’t follow the law anyway. The author argues back that more than just criminals are the problem as we’ve seen with so many mass shootings and that while gun control may not prevent everything, it would still prevent a lot of murders.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/01/colleges-using-their-own-coffers-for-financial-aid-to-illegal-immigrants-stirs/?intcmp=latestnews
I went to the Fox News website because I was certain that I would find some argumentative propositions there.
The first sentence of this article is an interesting — and contains both propositions of cause and value.
“Several U.S. colleges are giving financial aid directly to students who are young illegal immigrants, extending the debate about helping people in the United States illegally at the expense of Americans who are in need of similar opportunities.”
The proposition of causality is the argument that if you help people who are here illegally it will take away resources from citizens who could otherwise use — and need — those resources. This may or may not be true but the situation is so complex that it cannot be a simple cause and effect relationship.
The proposition of value is that unstated argument that students who are citizens are more deserving of an American education — that they should be helped first.
Later in the article, there is this:
” ‘This policy not only encourages new illegal immigration, but comes at the expense of the college dreams of young Americans,” Stephen Miller, spokesman for Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on immigration and the national interest, told FoxNews.com on Saturday.”
There is nothing offered to support the idea that this policy encourages illegal immigration. This might be an example of a (faulty) proposition of cause or occurrence.
This article is using a lot of unsupported, incomplete propositions to present a particular point of view disguised as rational discourse.
http://www.letsmove.gov/learn-facts/epidemic-childhood-obesity
Michelle Obama and the Obama administration launched the Let’s Move initiative in 2010. This is a link to a letter to President Obama from Melody Barnes, Chair of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. The letter briefly outlines the Task Force’s action plan for eradicating childhood obesity within one generation.
This letter is filled with all three types of propositions of fact: existence, occurrence, and cause. I’ve listed examples below:
EXISTENCE
Parents across America are deeply concerned about their children’s health and the epidemic of childhood obesity. (i.e. the epidemic exists)
OCCURRENCE
Twelve Federal agencies participated actively in the Task Force, and provided
their ideas and expertise.
CAUSE
One out of every three children is now overweight or obese, a condition that places them at greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer over the course of their lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/nyregion/health-board-approves-bloombergs-soda-ban.html
Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to shrink the size of soda at restaurants and movie theaters is an example of a proposed change of policy that is based on facts. The policy was introduced because facts proved that sugary drinks were contributing to childhood obesity which was causing many major issues later on in life. The only issue with the proposal was that Bloomberg did not give a solution to the issue of freedom of choice. Americans don’t like being forced to do things so perhaps a better idea would have been to better educate the public on the issue and its consequences.
During the Ebola crisis late last year, many news pundits and political figures tried to adopt a policy of quarantining travelers who came from regions that were experiencing outbreaks of Ebola. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102133556#.
As New York and New Jersey put mandatory quarantines on aid workers returning from areas infected with Ebola they were disregarding fact based policy. CDC doctors and plenty of other experts lined up telling these government officials that travelers showing no symptoms after a certain time period posed no risk to the general public but the fear of this sickness made these politicians ignore facts.
Link: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/diet-fitness/cheap-food-blamed-americas-obesity-crisis-n112141
The above article is an example of a proposition of fact, specifically a proposition of cause. The website states that fast food causes obesity. The following sentences contains the authors’ proposition: “Rather, the main reason we’re getting fatter — all of us — is because we are surrounded by tasty temptations that cost very little, from fast food menus to processed snack foods.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/27/elizabeth-may-common-core_n_6772474.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Elizabeth May, South Dakota Lawmaker is making a proposition argument claiming that the effects of implementing common core into school is causing children and teachers stress and anxiety, resulting in increased rates of suicide in the county. She’s implying a deductive reasoning implying that what generally happens in her school district could be happening all over the United States if common core continues to be taught.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/02/us/psychiatric-drug-overuse-is-cited-by-federal-study.html
This NY Times article is an example of proposition of value. The author discuss a recent study about the misuse and over prescribing of antipsychotic drugs in elder adults with Alzheimer’s. The article discusses need for better monitoring of over prescribing and doctor kickback for prescribing would help Medicare spending cost as well as reduce complications from it’s use in the Alzheimer’s population such as risk of falls, hospitalizations and death.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/15/why-it-s-time-to-legalize-prostitution.html
Why It’s Time to Legalize Prostitution?
This article focuses on proposition of facts. The author states that there is no good reason to not legalize prostitution. This articles states facts and evidences that show the legalization of prostitution would protect sex workers, reduce violence, cut down on sex trafficking, and more.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/01/worlds-energy-systems-at-risk-from-global-warming-say-leading-firms
This article uses a proposition of fact right in the first sentence: “The world’s energy infrastructure is at risk from extreme weather expected to result from climate change, a group of prominent energy companies has warned.” Scientists have studied climate change’s effects on the world thus far and have predicted how it will impact the future. These studies prove that more and more extreme weather conditions have been occurring as a result of global warming, and so it is reasonable to believe that the world’s infrastructure is at risk. The article provides plenty of examples of climate change having this effect, and if the reader went out and did their own research on the subject they would very likely reach the same conclusion as the article.